Irish police have foiled a plot to kill an Irish nationalGoogle Images

Irish police have foiled a plot to kill an Irish national serving in the British army. According to The Guardian, the soldier has been warned not to travel home to Ireland for Christmas because dissident republicans have threatened to kill him.

Irish police told the press the plan was to kill him while he was visiting his family in Limerick over the holidays.

A faction of the Continuity IRA (CIRA) has reportedly been under investigation in the city. According to reports it is believed they had already successfully sourced a weapon to shoot the soldier, who is in his 20s.

The CIRA reportedly learned of his plan to return home by monitoring his Facebook page, having falsely befriended him in recent months so as to track his movements.

Irish detectives contacted the soldier and his family when they learned of the plan, leading to the soldier postponing his Christmas trip home. Whilst investigating the plot, a previous plan to kill the soldier in August was also uncovered.

Meanwhile police investigations into republican dissident organisations in the Republic over the last few months have led to 15 arrests.

The Guardian reported that the CIRA was planning to present the murder of a serving Irish member of the British army as a so-called 'spectacular,' to enhance their credibility within dissident republicanism.